THE PEACH. 85 



in diameter, which, however, are mere curiosities, being too 

 bitter to be eaten. As regards abundant produce in favor- 

 able seasons, the peach may rival any tree in the teeming 

 condition of its branches, 32 plants having keen known 

 to produce in one season 15,184 peaches and nectarines. 

 The tree is popularly supposed to be particularly short- 

 lived, for the common custom of grafting the peach upon 

 almond stocks induces a premature decay, so that they 

 rarely survive their twentieth year ; but, grown as seed- 

 lings, or grafted on their own kind, with good manage- 

 ment they will remain healthy and fruitful at least as 

 long as the ordinary span of a human life ; while preach- 

 ing, too, an eloquent lesson to humanity, in the fact that 

 not only do trees of from 40 to 60 years old bear good 

 crops when younger ones are found failing, but the fruit 

 of these veterans is also of finer flavour than that produced 

 by the rising generation. In England they always require 

 the protection of a wall, but it was Mr. Knight's opinion 

 that in successive generations the tree might be so hard- 

 ened and naturalized to our climate as to be grown suc- 

 cessfully in its proper form as a standard. That gentleman 

 originated many of the varieties now grown, impregnating 

 the pistil of one blossom with the pollen from another : 

 only three peaches were allowed to mature upon each 

 tree, the stones of which were then sown the next year, 

 and new and fine kinds thus obtained. 



In France peaches are more plentiful than with us, 

 but even there they usually require to be grown against 

 walls ; and though the soft melting sorts thrive admi- 

 rably near Paris, the firm-fleshed varieties, though they 

 attain fine flavour, never completely ripen. 



In Sierra Leone the peach is reckoned one of the most 

 valuable of the fruits grown there ; at the Cape it is abun- 

 dant and cheap ; and we may hope that by this time it is 

 fast spreading over the interior of Africa, not only adding 

 an innocent luxury to the scanty fare of the natives, but 

 quickening them to desire improvement, by displaying 

 itself as in every sense one of the fruits of civilization, 

 and calling forth the kindly emotions in reminding them 

 of the disinterested benevolence of the white brother to 



